This class is the first of two lessons on natural selection. The main portion of this class is dedicated to the stickbird lab, a look at how feeding structures adapt and can cause organisms to survive or die, causing change in evolution. The main concept to focus on is how beneficial adaptations yield survival.
Opening: To begin this lesson I will show a quick powerpoint that covers the important aspects of natural selection. The students will take notes in their science notebooks.
Activities: The first activity will include the reading of an article “Of Hawaii, Birds, Evolution And Poetry In Science” I will then lead the class in a discussion asking questions such as: What are some adaptations that the finches developed? Do you think that these adaptations aided the survival of these finches? What environmental changes influenced these finches? Can environmental changes be beneficial? What do you think will happen to future generations of finches? Why?
The next portion of this lesson will include a lab that will allow them to see natural selection first hand.
This lab is called “Survival of the Stickbirds”
1.The students will begin by separating into 4 groups of 4 students (which will be called stickbirds)
2.On their lab benches will be a number of popsicle sticks and depending on which station they are at will have tweezers, sticky tack, or nothing (if they are using fingers or elbows).
3.The idea of this lab is that using the tool provided (sticky tack, tweezers, fingers, or elbows) the students will see how many popsicle sticks they will be able to pick up in a five minute interval, after five minutes is up they will move to a different station and do the same with a different tool. This will represent the stickbird’s different adaptations for gathering food (Popsicle sticks).
4.The student will record how many Popsicle sticks were able to be gathered for each method.
5.The students will then decide which method is more advantageous for survival.
Closing: To end the lesson I will ask how the lab relates to the finches on the Galapagos islands.
-Which adaptations allowed the finches to thrive?
-Would they have been able to survive without the change in beak structure?
-How did these changes have an effect on evolution of the finch species?
-Are there other species that show this difference in adaptation?
-The last question will be asked for homework and the students will be required to bring in evidence of a different organism that has evolved differently than its ancestors due to adaptations.
Assessment Notes: the students will be assessed on their participation in the pre-lab discussion, their ability to complete their data sheets, and they will be graded on the homework.
Title: Natural Selection 1
Overview:
This class is the first of two lessons on natural selection. The main portion of this class is dedicated to the stickbird lab, a look at how feeding structures adapt and can cause organisms to survive or die, causing change in evolution. The main concept to focus on is how beneficial adaptations yield survival.
Powerpoint (15 min)
Read article (15 min)
Discussion (15 min)
Stickbird Lab (30 min)
Post lab discussion (10 min)
Explanation of homework (5 min)
Standards (Links)
https://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/LS3+%289-11%29+-+7
Objectives
-Students will be able to analyze different feeding methods of finches through the “Stickbird” lab
-Students will observe how natural selection affects the process of evolution.
Materials / Preparation Notes
- Powerpoint
Natural selection 1.pptx
- Details
- Download
- 299 KB
- Article on Hawaiian finches (http://www.unisci.com/archives/20003/0725001.htm)
- Stickbird lab
-Lab data sheet
-Popsicle sticks
-Tweezers
-Sticky Tack
Instruction
Opening: To begin this lesson I will show a quick powerpoint that covers the important aspects of natural selection. The students will take notes in their science notebooks.
Activities: The first activity will include the reading of an article “Of Hawaii, Birds, Evolution And Poetry In Science” I will then lead the class in a discussion asking questions such as: What are some adaptations that the finches developed? Do you think that these adaptations aided the survival of these finches? What environmental changes influenced these finches? Can environmental changes be beneficial? What do you think will happen to future generations of finches? Why?
The next portion of this lesson will include a lab that will allow them to see natural selection first hand.
This lab is called “Survival of the Stickbirds”
1. The students will begin by separating into 4 groups of 4 students (which will be called stickbirds)
2. On their lab benches will be a number of popsicle sticks and depending on which station they are at will have tweezers, sticky tack, or nothing (if they are using fingers or elbows).
3. The idea of this lab is that using the tool provided (sticky tack, tweezers, fingers, or elbows) the students will see how many popsicle sticks they will be able to pick up in a five minute interval, after five minutes is up they will move to a different station and do the same with a different tool. This will represent the stickbird’s different adaptations for gathering food (Popsicle sticks).
4. The student will record how many Popsicle sticks were able to be gathered for each method.
5. The students will then decide which method is more advantageous for survival.
Closing: To end the lesson I will ask how the lab relates to the finches on the Galapagos islands.
-Which adaptations allowed the finches to thrive?
-Would they have been able to survive without the change in beak structure?
-How did these changes have an effect on evolution of the finch species?
-Are there other species that show this difference in adaptation?
-The last question will be asked for homework and the students will be required to bring in evidence of a different organism that has evolved differently than its ancestors due to adaptations.
Assessment Notes: the students will be assessed on their participation in the pre-lab discussion, their ability to complete their data sheets, and they will be graded on the homework.